Property of the Week: Country Walk

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November 08, 2012|BY LARRY GREENE

Country Walk at Windsor lives up to its name. This planned community of townhouses and duplexes smartly weaves cul-de-sac neighborhoods with natural wooded surroundings. Mature evergreen and deciduous trees grace the landscape. Residents stroll down to the tree-lined pond to watch clouds drift across its smooth surface. A stone patio overlooking the pond provides the perfect vantage point for observing deer and other wildlife. Well-maintained walking trails make nature accessible while underground utilities keep the view unobstructed.

The pastoral setting is just the beginning of what Country Walk at Windsor has to offer. Its Walden Woods Association not only maintains the roads, landscaping and home exteriors, but committees within the association plan year-round activities for residents.

"We have many active committees," says Tom, who moved to the community four years ago with his wife, Margaret, and their two children. "We have a social committee that plans events throughout the year. A community garden runs spring through fall. There’s a Christmas party at a local restaurant. We do field trips. There are activities for both adults and kids."

Children get a workout at the annual Easter egg hunt. Community barbecues are held on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Recently, neighbors collected food for the Windsor food bank. An annual green day has people getting together to help clean up the neighborhood. For Tom, cleanliness was one reason for moving here. "It just seemed like a very clean neighborhood with a lot of amenities," he says. The community has a swimming pool, clubhouse, tennis courts and a baseball field.

"I’m disabled, so I’m unable to take care of exterior work," adds Tom, giving another reason for his Country Walk selection. The association handles snow removal, lawn mowing and other outdoor chores. People owning a townhouse pay $270 per month in association fees while those owning a duplex pay $285, which includes insurance.

Tom and his wife selected the smallest size duplex because it works for them now and won’t be too much room when they become empty-nesters. It has a big, open floor plan with a very large master bedroom, full master bath, two additional bedrooms, a fully finished basement and a two-car garage.

According to Garrett Hogan, sales manager at Country Walk, the development has a total of 180 homes with just 15 remaining for sale. For a limited time, a builder incentive is being offered for $30,000 off the remaining duplexes and $20,000 off the remaining townhouses if buyers can close within 30 days. “FHA is no problem,” says Hogan.

Hogan notes that the homes are 95-percent complete, "but people still have choices like flooring, hardwood or carpeting." He ticks off a list of attractive features: “A wood-burning fireplace is standard with an option for gas. GE stainless steel appliances are standard. A half-bath on the first floor is standard. A deck is standard.”

All bedrooms have a walk-in closet with ventilated shelving; some master bedrooms have his-and-hers closets. Each kitchen has a pantry closet. “We always try to maximize closet space as much as possible,” says Hogan.

Laundry rooms are conveniently placed near bedrooms. First-floor ceilings are nine-feet high except in some models where the foyer, living room or family room ceilings reach two stories. Kitchens have 42-inch maple cabinetry and a breakfast area. Master bedroom baths in the duplex models come complete with whirlpool soaking tub and a shower.

Name-brand features abound. Lennox makes the multi-zone, high-efficiency central air conditioning and hot air systems. Kohler is the name on the plumbing fixtures. All windows and glass doors are double glazed, insulated and made by Pella.

"We use the latest technology and two-by-six construction to make the homes energy efficient," says Hogan. Walls have R-19 insulation and ceilings have R-30 insulation.

Full basements are unfinished but homeowners have an option to finish. Walk-out basements include a sliding door and bigger windows making them ideal for finishing. An additional bedroom and/or a recreation room can be built before moving in or become part of a future plan.

Country Walk at Windsor is in a great location, close to Hartford and Springfield. Bradley International Airport is minutes away, but residents here are not bothered by planes flying over because the community is not in any flight path.

The Town of Windsor, set between the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers, has much to offer. Until the 1960s, tobacco farming and brick making were the economic engines. Now, the only remnants of those industries are housed at the Windsor Historical Society. Some of Windsor’s top employers are ING, The Hartford and Cigna.